In case you missed it, over the weekend Atlanta hosted a big event featuring players from around the state doing their best at their chosen pastime. That’s right. Tuba Christmas was on Friday. It was the 44th anniversary of Tuba Christmas and the 30th anniversary in Atlanta.
Tuba Christmas was started in 1974 by Harvey Phillips, one of the U.S.’s foremost tuba players and advocates. Phillips was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 2007 – the only wind instrument to have received the honor. Phillips founded Tuba Christmas as a tribute to his teacher and mentor, William Bell, born on Christmas in 1902. The event hopes to honor all great artists and their teachers, as well as promote and share the sound and artistry of an often misunderstood or overlooked instrument. They play all the classics – from Jingle Bells to Good King Wenceslas.
Don Strand, a legendary tuba player in Atlanta, has been the organizer of the event since the beginning. Strand is from Atlanta and went to the University of Georgia. He is the principal tubist with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and the Atlanta Opera Orchestra, as well as the Columbus and Greenville Symphonies. If you have seen the Nutcracker in Atlanta over the past few decades, it’s likely you heard Strand playing those low notes.
For many years, Tuba Christmas was at the CNN Center but when management at CNN changed, they decided they didn’t want to host the event anymore. Underground Atlanta picked up the slack and hosted for several years but with the uncertainty around its future, Strand went looking for another location this year. Cumberland Mall in Cobb County graciously agreed to host and on an unusually warm morning for December
Pete Senkowski, a retiree from Decatur, took a brief 45 year hiatus from playing the tuba, after doing so in high school. He picked it back up six years ago and is a member of the Ukulele Society of Decatur. Senkowski also plays the stand-up bass, but occasionally breaks out his “pocket tuba” (a very small tuba about the size of a French horn) as well for the Ukulele Society. This was his fourth year at Tuba Christmas.
Most of the players at the event are students in middle or high school bands. Several bands from around metro Atlanta drove in to play. Dodgen Middle schoolers didn’t have very far to go – being located in Marietta – and brought along 12 tubists. Brian Westphal, the Associate Director of Bands at Dodgen, says Dodgen has a thriving band program. They actually only brought about half of their tuba section (for some readers who attended smaller schools – including this writer – even the idea of a “tuba section”, rather than just a piece of the brass section, is a novelty).
Chris Thaiss, whose son Julian plays in the Dodgen band, says the event is a great way to get kids interested in some of the things outside of school. Other bands drove in from across Georgia – including from Whitfield County and Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain. The band director there, Quentin Goins, echoed the sentiments of Mr. Westphal. His students look forward to it and it’s a great, different event to keep them excited about music.
Come this time next year, they may not be at Cumberland Mall, but keep your ears peeled and try and find it. It’s a truly unique event.
To learn more about Tuba Christmas and stay tuned for next year’s event – http://www.tubachristmas.com/index.html
